Mark, At this time of year you could take the thermostat out for a week or so and see what happens. To lose 1/4 radiator over a period of time would generally not have much to do with the thermostat - mostly they fail to attain their set temperature any way, rarely do they jam in the shut position.
If you radiator checks out then I suspect you are losing coolant into a combustion chamber as that amount of loss would be very evident if it was external. If you suspect that this is the case, you could throw a can of Goss Chemiweld into it - that stuff will seal up fairly bad cracks in an alloy head like new. Even if an engine runs hot due to a failing component eg radiator, water pump etc, unless there is excessive pressure i.e. >15 psi and the cap cracks and water dumps into the recovery bottle, then the water should stay in the system and at least most of it return from the recovery bottle on the cool down cycle. Regards, Terry -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mark F Sent: Thursday, 17 February 2005 11:39 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: CA18det cooling problem The thermostat isn't a Nissan item, but I have tried 2 different 82 degree thermostat now and I still get these symptoms... - the engine warms up from 0 to 90 degrees very quickly.. In other cars I have had they haven't warmed up as quick as this one.. - Once it reaches 90, it will never see below 90 degrees.. If I sit at the lights it will start to creep up towards 100, but once I start driving again it will come back down to 90. - I am losing water.. The same amount each time. It never drops down below a particular level, but the amount lost is fairly significant - about 1/4 of the radiator.. - The cooling system never seems to build up much pressure. The overflow water is still as fresh as when I put it in there. No coolant has mixed in with it because there is never enough pressure in the system to make the cap let any water out.. My radiator was a custom made two row alloy one, but the way the inlet and outlet were positioned looked like it wouldn't help with efficiency because the top inlet was about 10 rows down from the top of the core and a baffle plate between the inlet and outlet was a late addition by the guy that built it so I have my doubts whether it is stopping the water from going straight down to the outlet and bypassing the core... Tomorrow I am getting my top outlet moved to the opposite end tank and the baffle taken out so I think this should rule out the radiator as a problem after I get it back. I also have to get the thermostat housing modified to point across the front of the engine towards the other end tank.. I will also look at getting a bigger thermofan which will cover the whole radiator.. My current fan is a good quality one but only 11".. If I still am having problems once it is all back together again then I will really be looking for some ideas on what could be wrong... Thanks for all the help and most importantly - wish me luck! Cheers, Mark -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Heath Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 5:40 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: CA18det cooling problem is the thermostat geniune nissan? mine came over from japan with a 88deg i put in a 82deg out of the CA16 pulsar because i used the different thermo outlet as well, i run a cross flow style radiator (not same side, as standard) the radiator guy next door said only use geniune thermostat's as the tridon and others are shit! u should see my old EA it's got a 93deg thermo as standard you should see the temp go up and down as the thermostat opens and closes have you had the radiator cleaned out, properly with a tank off and they push blades through the fins. to clean them. when the thermo opens on my CA the top hose gets quite hard. and i notice that the temp slowly drops. heath ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, 15 February 2005 7:13 Subject: Re: CA18det cooling problem > Thanks for the ideas guys.. > I had a theory that maybe my headgasket is leaking water into one of the cylinders > because it would maybe explain why the water always falls to about the level of the top > hose.. Is there any way to check this?? I am getting a fair bit of black watery stuff out > of the exhaust but not all the time which is strange.. > I am fairly sure my water pump is operating fine as when you rev the motor you can > see the coolant flowing out of the fins inside the radiator.. The > thermostat i have reads 82 degrees on it so i'm assuming it is right. > The motor runs well up to about 4500 rpm where it starts to misfire. I think that is just > my dirty plugs though.. > I have checked the spark plugs before and 3 and 4 seem to be a lot blacker then 1 and > 2, but i would have assumed water in there would make them a rusty type color.. > > Any more help would be great.. Is it safe to drive around??? Thanks, > Mark > > > > > > Errol Smith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Firstly I assume you have the correct thermostat for the engine and it > > is in working order. Check you dont have an alaskan winter rated 90C > > thermostat. > > > > The following cooling system test is suitable for all engines. > > > > On the inlet side for coolant flow back into the block/head, fit the > > cap > > end of a 1.25 or 2 litre coke bottle into the hose on the block inlet > > side. Cut out the base of the coke bottle to make it like a funnel and > > fit the heater return line into the top of the funnel section. You may > > have to make an extension hose up to carry these tests out. Half fill > > the funnel with water, then holding the bottle up, remove any air from > > the radiator cap. There should be sufficient water in the funnel so the > > coolant level remains relatively stable with the engine running. Top > > the > > coolant level in the funnel up with additional water to maintain the > > coolant level in the funnel at a constant level. > > > > Bring the engine to a constant operating temperature. To test water > > pump > > pressure raise the coolant delivery hose into the funnel so the coolant > > from the heater return line falls in an arc into the top of the funnel. > > At approximately 800 rpm idle, the hose should be able to be raised 450 > > -600 mm before coolant flow stops. This indicates a coolant pressure of > > approximately 1 psi. If the flow level falls below 300mm before flow > > stops, the pump is not providing sufficient pressure for the system and > > the pump must be replaced. > > > > Next look for pump cavitation by running the engine at 2000 rpm and > > looking at the changes that happen to the coolant. If it goes opaque or > > cloudy like the head on a freshly poured beer, you have some > > cavitation. > > If the cavitation is bad, large bubbles will appear in the funnel > > rather > > like the aerator bubbles in a fish tank. > > > > If you have either symptom you should look at the water pump type you > > are using and the pump drive speed. Often by slowing the pump or > > removing some pump blades or cutting them back, these symptoms will > > dissapear. > > > > Cheers > > Feral Errol > > www.datrats.com.au > > > > Basically the thermostat opens at 82 degrees, but my car will warm up > > to > > 90 and stay there whilst driving but sit at the lights for a little bit > > and it gets up near 100 with the thermofan on. > > Even when cruising at 80 kmph it won't run any cooler than 90. > > It is an Alloy two row radiator with similar dimensions to the std 1600 > > one, and it runs a recovery style cap with a recovery tank.. > > The recovery tank never has hot water in it. There is never enough > > pressure to let water into the recovery tank even though the temp is so > > high.. It has me very confused. > > Also another strange thing is that the level of water in the radiator > > always seems to drop to the same level (around the height of the top > > outlet) whenever you let the car cool down. You can fill it up to the > > top when its cold but then once you drive it and then take the cap off > > again the next day it is low again! > > The oil is still oily and the water is still watery so I don't think > > it's a head gasket.. > > Any other ideas or suggestions?? > > I have been told to try a bigger thermo but if it wont even cool down > > to > > near 82ish when I'm cruising at 80 then how will a bigger thermo help?? > > Cheers, > > Mark. > > Ps I have tried two different temp gauges they both told the same > > story.. > > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.8.8 - Release Date: 14/02/2005 > > > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.8.8 - Release Date: 14/02/2005 > > -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. 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